


looking for a better place

by klashargreeves



Series: wanna feel alive [2]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Pre-Canon, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 03:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klashargreeves/pseuds/klashargreeves
Summary: ‘You should call Allison,’ Ben said softly.Klaus sucked in a breath. Seeing Allison on the news was one thing, but actually attempting to contact her was a whole different issue.(or, in summary: ben just wants klaus to talk to a sibling he can actually hug)





	looking for a better place

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel of sorts to ‘i guess i gotta stay now’, but it can be read independently.  
> The title is from Billie Eilish and Khalid’s ‘lovely’.  
> Thank you so much for reading!

‘Klaus, look.’

Klaus paused besides a shop window, where a dozen television screens declared _ALLISON HARGREEVES ARRIVES AT WORLD PREMIERE_. His sister was walking the red carpet with a confident stride, smiling as she turned this way and that way, nodding at one photographer, and waving a hand at another. She looked like a natural, wearing fame as easily as she had once wore the domino mask.

Without really thinking, Klaus pressed his forehead against the cool glass. He hadn’t seen Allison in, what? Five years? And here she was, replicated several times over. A star. He grinned as he saw the headline announcing the film title as _Love_   _On_   _Loan_. His sister had always spoke of Hollywood, of the chance to get away from being The Rumour and just focus on being Allison Hargreeves. They used to practice runway poses together; strutting down the hallway wearing ridiculously mismatched outfits whilst Mom clapped and told them they looked wonderful. Allison certainly seemed to have the walk perfected, and the dress was simply _stunning_.

‘She’s wearing navy! I always told her that colour suited her,’ he said, as she stopped to sign autographs.

The screens cut abruptly to commercials, and he sighed, turning away only to nearly walk through the apparition of his brother. Ben looked the same as he always did now; black clothes, gelled hair, and his face carefully schooled into an expression of disapproval. That was no surprise. Ben almost always had something to judge these days, only he was a little more direct than the Academy years when he would just sigh over his book at the table. Klaus frowned.

‘I thought I told you to stay on the left.’

Not unsurprisingly, Ben rolled his eyes and began to stalk off down the street. They spent an almost unhealthy amount of time together, and Klaus liked to think they knew each other’s habits like the backs of their hands now. Ben clearly had something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t entirely sure how to phrase it. He had been the same when he was younger, always crafting sentences to ensure they came out exactly as he wanted them to, whereas Klaus would just speak whatever words bubbled in his mind.

There were a multitude of reasons why Ben could be acting so irritable. Being dead was always a worthy guess, though as Klaus threw one last glance at the screens, he figured it probably had something to do with Number Three’s dramatically well-structured life. It was envious, in a way. Klaus wasn’t exactly what he would call a post-Academy success, and Ben hadn’t even made it post-Academy. _Oh_.

‘Hey, Ben. C’mon, wait up! Don’t you know it’s dangerous to be out and about by yourself?’ he sang out.

Ben shot him a disdained look over his shoulder.

‘You should call Allison,’ he said softly.

Klaus sucked in a breath. Seeing Allison on the news was one thing, but actually attempting to contact her was a whole different issue. His siblings hadn’t exactly split amicably. None of them had wanted to be the first to leave, even if that honour technically belonged to Number Five. In the end, a letter arrived from the police academy, and Diego had promptly packed a bag and left whilst their father watched emotionlessly from the second floor window. Klaus himself had snuck out in the middle of the night, having lingered only as long as he needed to make sure Ben wasn’t going to be stuck traipsing the hallways. He was the third to go, after Diego and Allison. Only Luther stayed, and Klaus had witnessed enough of his pleas to Allison to reconsider to know that Number One not only still believed in their father, but was blind enough to think they all still cared about the Academy too. It was easy leaving, after that.

‘Cute idea,’ he said, ‘but I don’t have her number. Or a phone.’

Honestly, he had no idea what he’d say even if he did manage to get in touch with Allison. _Hey_ , _sis_ , _I_ _hear_ _you’re_ _famous_ _now_. _Yeah_ , _it’s_ _your_ _brother_ , _Klaus_. _No_ , _I_ _didn’t_ _die_ _in_ _some_ _gutter_. He swallowed, fingering the token he kept in his pocket. The most recent stint in rehab had been the result of a desire for a roof over his head, and a few mornings without a blazing headache and a vague sense of missing time. It also helped that he could charge the cost to his father. Klaus liked to think of it as his way of sending him postcards every now and then to let him he know he was still alive. Besides, Sir Reginald was a shady billionaire; a junkie son was just par for the course.

‘You could find it out,’ Ben said, pursing his lips, ‘She’s family, you know.’

 _Family_. Klaus had never really considered what that meant for him. Vanya had though, in her little tell-all book that desperately tried to define what being a Hargreeves entailed. What was it she wrote? _We were our father’s creation, family in name but not in fact._ Whilst he hadn’t appreciated Vanya disclosing to the world his failed attempts at knitting, Klaus understood where she was coming from. They weren’t exactly poster children for healthy familial relationships, and that was without bringing in the issues raised by the fact their father _built_ them a mother. Vanya had hit the nail on the head when she decided the Hargreeves more closely resembled a crude science experiment than a family, and cruelly, Klaus supposed that was the benefit of an outsider’s perspective. Huh. Maybe he was a little bitter about her critique of his knitting skills.

‘She’s also super famous now, dear brother. Imagine the scandal if the gossip mags found out about me.’

If he closed his eyes, he could just picture the media circus. _Allison! Allison! Did you know your brother went to rehab? Allison! Tell us all your family secrets!_ He shuddered. A few people recognised his name whenever he bothered to give it, and even those were a few too many.

‘Not if you do it discreetly,’ Ben encouraged, ‘Allison would be glad to hear from you, I’m sure.’

‘She’s moved on, Ben! She seems happy; I shouldn’t interfere with that.’

Klaus was determined that he’d be the last person to ruin Allison’s life. Sure, she was always closer to Luther as children, but that didn’t mean he was the sole subject of her affection. He remembered the day they got tattooed with the umbrella symbol - like cattle being branded - and hugging her as they both sobbed. It was Klaus she had turned to that day; Luther was too busy trying to justify their father’s favour. There were also the moments that only they knew about. When the voices got too much, and all Klaus could do in the middle of the night was scream into his pillow, Allison would sometimes creep in and ask if she could help. He would always nod yes, and Allison would gently whisper _I heard a rumour that you fell asleep._ Those nights were always the most peaceful. These days, he found himself missing them more and more.

‘Klaus, listen to me. You’re sober, you’re out of rehab, and right now we’re wandering around with nowhere to go. You could use a support system.’

Ben, annoyingly as always, had a pragmatic response for everything. Forget the tentacles; common sense was his true superpower. Klaus bit his lip.

‘What about you?’ he asked, ‘My dearly departed brother who never leaves me alone? You’re much more reliable than a movie star.’

‘That’s unfair,’ Ben hissed, ‘And you know it.’

‘Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry,’ Klaus said, placing a hand against his heart, ‘Truly, I am. But my point still stands. Allison doesn’t need me hanging around.’

Ben groaned, and if he were several years younger, Klaus wouldn’t have been surprised to see him stamp his foot.

‘If Allison can get her life together, so can you! You can do stupid normal sibling stuff, like meeting up for coffee, or, I don’t know, judging each other's choice of decor.’

‘Really? Please. I trust Allison’s taste.’

‘That's not what I mean! You have a chance to start again,’ Ben said, jabbing a finger in Klaus’ direction.

 _A chance to start again._ That’s what leaving was supposed to have been, for all of them. And here he was, wandering through the poor part of town, being chastised by his dead brother. Klaus couldn’t help but think he had messed up somewhere down the line.

‘I know, but that doesn’t need to involve bothering Allison. Unless it was for her autograph; that’s gotta be worth something now, right?’

‘This can’t go on forever, Klaus.’

Klaus stopped.

‘It won’t,’ he promised, ‘And, for what it’s worth, I _am_ sorry I’m the sibling you’re stuck with. You deserved better.’

Ben tilted his head, considering the apology. A few moments passed, then he smiled and went to punch his brother in his arm. Klaus looked down to where Ben’s fist passed harmlessly through.

‘Someone has to keep you in line,’ Ben said, ‘You cross the road without looking.’

Grinning, Klaus set off to dash across the street.

’But it’s so fun!’ he called over his shoulder.

Ben raised an eyebrow, settling for an expression of exasperation, before he moved to follow his brother. They had each other, he figured, and for now, that would be enough.


End file.
